Pete Hegseth Was Knocked Down A Peg By A Children's Book Publisher For This Tacky Move

Before December 2025, the most brutal callout Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to weather came from his own mother. He has since added a children's publisher to that list. As the secretary faced increasing scrutiny for the alleged drug boat strikes he authorized in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in September 2025, he took to X to pour oil on the fire.

Hegseth posted a snap of the famous children's book character Franklin the Turtle shooting at boats with a smile on his face. He captioned the post, "For your Christmas wish list." The post would have been in bad taste on any day, but it was especially controversial given a November 2025 report by The Washington Post indicating that Hegseth gave orders to kill survivors during one of the September boat strikes, something legal experts argue is a war crime.

The publisher of the "Franklin the Turtle" series, Kids Can Press, released a statement in response to Hegseth's post, making it clear that they did not approve of the secretary's use of the character to promote his war on what Hegseth called "narco-terrorists." "Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the publisher's statement on X read. "We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, which directly contradicts these values."

Pete Hegseth won't have the protection of the Trump administration forever, and he might find himself facing some legal repercussions for the orders he issued during his tenure as Secretary of Defense in the future, especially given the allegations that he ordered survivors of the September 2025 boat strike to be killed. Hegseth might be well aware that he overstepped his bounds, given that he's attempted to place the blame for the controversial second strike at Adm. Frank M. Bradley's feet.

As even some of Hegseth's colleagues started to question the legality of his orders in the September strike, others came to his defense. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson claimed Bradley gave the order, not Hegseth. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did the same, saying Bradley "directed the engagement," per The Guardian. 

Hegseth's most embarrassing moments in the Trump administration continue to mount, and the secretary might have a harder time passing the blame than he thinks, thanks to some of his previous rants that indicate the allegations that he ordered survivors be killed are not that far-fetched. Hegseth boasted about the attack on Fox News, saying he watched it unfold in real time. "We knew exactly who was in that boat. We knew exactly what they were doing, and we knew exactly who they represented," he told the outlet (via Daily Beast). The fact that he told gathered military officials in September that he believed the rules of engagement were "stupid" will also not count in his favor. Hegseth has proven he's the most paranoid member of Trump's cabinet, and this trait might be his undoing.